Bale-stay.



Patented July l7, I900.

G. A. LUWRY G. W. M. HOLMES.

B A L E S T AY (Application filed Aug. 19, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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GEORGE A. LOVVRY AND IVATSON M. HOLMES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE PLANTERS COMPRESS COMPANY, OF WVEST VIRGINIA.

BALE-STAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,748, dated July 1'7, 1900.

Application filed August 19, 1899.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that we, GEORGE A. LOWRY and WATSON M. HOLMES, citizens of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bale- Stays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in bale-stays; and its object .is to provide a stay for compressed material which will retain the compression until the bale or bundle of material is Wired or otherwise furnished with a permanent clamping device and to so construct such bale-stay as to make it readily detachable.

The invention consists,substantially,in the construction shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

. In the drawings like letters refer to the same parts in the several figures, in which Figure 1 illustrates a side .elevation of a bale, a bale-base, and a pair of bale-stays applied thereto with a portion of the bale-base broken away. Fig. 2 is a view of another side of the bale and bale-base with a part of the latter broken away an'd the front elevation of a bale-stay applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan or top View of a bale with four balestays applied thereto and the wires also secured to the bale. Fig. i is a vertical section of the coupling-piece for the two sections of the bale-stay, showing the clamping device also in section and the latch or look therefor in elevation. Fig. 5 is a view of an older form of bale-stay not included in this application.

WVhen a definite quantity of material-such as cotton, hay,wool,or other compressible inat8ljl&l-==-h&S been compressed,it has been found convenient to apply to such body of com pressed material a temporary stay or clam ping device designed to retain the compression in such bundle or bale of material until the permanent securing device is applied thereto, which permanent device is usually in the form of wires. Such a temporary clamping device or stay is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings and is not broadly claimed in the present application, but is shown and described and more particularly claimed in the application of George A. Lowry, Serial No.

Serial No. 727,761. N m d m 725,279, filed July 27,1899. .In the present application this simple form of stay shown in Fig. 5.is illustrated for the purpose of comparison with the extensible stay shown in the other figures of the drawings, and which latter forms the subject-matter of this application. With the simple non-extensible stay, such as is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, it sometimes requires considerable effort to detach the same from the bundle or bale of material, and in detaching it frequently happensthat a portion of the material is torn away and the bale or bundle to this extent mutilated. It is the object ofthe present invention to avoid these objections by making the bale-stay or temporary clamp extensible, so as to render it easily detachable.

In the drawings, 13 designates the body of compressed material which it is desired to secure in its compressed. state by placing wires around it, as-shown, or in any other convenient manner. Previous, however, to giving this body of compressed material its permanent securing device it has been found convenient to apply a temporary clamp or stay to hold it until it can be permanently secured, and to this end an extensible clamp has been devised. This extensible clamp or stay is as a whole designated bythe letter C and should of course have some form of hook or clamping device at each end adapted to grasp the bale or the support for the bale. In the drawings this stay iscshown as composed of two parts C and .0 the former adapted to hook over the edge of the bale base or support and the latter to project over and bear upon the upper end of the bale, although of course both hooked ends of the stay or clamp bear against the bale directly, one against its upper end and the other against its lower end. In the drawings the hooked end of the part C is roughened or formed with teeth 0 to prevent its slipping from the bale, although this is no necessary part of the invention.

A convenient and efficient manner of arranging the two parts of the bale-stay is clearly shown in Fig. 4: of the drawings, in which there. is a coupling-piece D, having an opening therethrough in a vertical direction adapted to receive the lower end of part 0 and the upper end of the part 0.

In case the bale-stay or clamping device is used in connection with a bale-base which projects as does the bale-base A in the drawings it is found advantageous to pivot the arm C and throw it forward by a spring 0 so as to cause it to reach over and bear upon the top of the bale.

Of course either arm may be made adjustable; but as shown it is the lower arm C which is constructed to be adjusted vertically, and thusmake the bale-stay extensible. In this construction, to which, however, the invention is not limited, the arm 0' is pivoted to the inner end of a bell-crank cam E and a vertical slot is made through the side of the coupling to permit the play of the pivot vertically. The coupling is also provided with a camway or ledge D, on which the bell-crank cam E rocks. It may also be provided with a projecting hook cl, (shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings,) and a latch or lock 6 may be pivoted in the bell-crank cam and adapted to be thrown inwardly to lock it in position by a spring G.

The lever for operating the two parts 'of the extensible stay is formed as abell-crankthat is, it is triangular in shapebut instead of being pivoted at the angle or apex such apex is rounded, and the bell-crank turns upon this apex as a cam-surface as it slides upon the camway or ledge D before specified. This bell-crank cam has also a handle projecting outwardly therefrom, which is' designated by the letter E.

The operation of this device is as follows: Assuming that the bale has beeh clamped by this temporary clamp or stay in the manner shown at the right of Fig. 1 of the drawings and that all the baling-wires have been applied so that such bale is permanently secured, the latch or look may be readily manipulated and released and the handle of the bell-crank cam lifted, thus causing such bell-crank cam to turn upon its angle and slide thereon outwardly upon the camway until the part of the bell-crank cam which is shown in a vertical position at the right of Fig. 1 has assumed the horizontal position shown at the left of Fig. 1,which willcause the upper end of the lower arm of the extensible stay to slide downward, and thus release the hook of such arm from the bale base or support, when such stay may be readily detached from the bale.

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It is obvious that modifications in the de tails of the construction above described may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the principle of the invention.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bale= stay for compressed material, composed of two parts, and a bell-crank shaped lever pivoted to one of such parts, and having a movable fulcrum; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A bale-stay for compressed material, composed of a plurality of parts, a couplingpiece for inclosing the proximate ends of such parts, a bell-crank lever pivoted to one of the parts, and a way on the coupling=piece upon which such lever may be rocked and moved; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A stay for compressed material, composed of two arms or members, a couplingpiece for inclosing and guiding the proxi mate ends of such arms or members, and having a track or camway upon its exterior surface, and a bell-crank-lever cam pivoted to one end of a member of the stay and adapted to rock and slide upon the track or way; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A stay for compressed material, comprising a plurality of members, a couplingpiece serving to inclose and guide the proximate ends of such members, and which'is provided with a track or camway upon its exterior surface, and a hook formed on the said coupling, in combination with a bellcrank-lever cam pivotedto one end of the movable member and adapted to rock and slide on the track or camway, and a pivoted latch to lock the cam in position; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, this 16th day of August, 1899, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. LOWRY. WATSON M. HOLMES.

\Vitnesses as to the signature of George A. Lowry:

DANIEL W. HOWLAND, WM. M. Human. W'itnesses as to the signature of W'atsen M. Holmes:

WM. M. RHEEM, E. W. CHIOKERING. 

